EPS officer on probation after assaulting a man and leaving him in the river valley
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Incident Title
EPS officer on probation after assaulting a man and leaving him in the river valley
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Incident Description
On December 11, 2017, Const. Matthew O’Mara and his partner ordered Craig Jephtas-Crail to leave the Jasper Avenue and 104 Street 7-Eleven where he had been sleeping to stay warm. Once Jephtas-Crail was down on the sidewalk outside, O'Mara delivered two punches to his head, one of them was after he was already in handcuffs. After the arrest for trespassing and public intoxication, the two officers put Craig Jephtas-Crail into the police car, drove him to the river valley and left him there. The vehicle’s GPS system was switched off during the drive. In a victim impact statement, Jephtas-Crail said: “as a person with a disability and already facing barriers, it left me feeling as though I was worth next to nothing.” A report from a psychologist states that at the time of the arrest O’Mara was suffering from “florid PTSD symptoms” related to his military service in Afghanistan. Because of his prior experience, O'Mara was let into the EPS through the experienced officer training program, an accelerated, eight-week training course. Other officers typically undergo 27 weeks of training. He had no prior patrol experience before being assigned downtown. During the sentencing, his mental state was taken into account as the court was considering imprisonment. Provincial court Judge D’Arcy DePoe sentenced Const. Matthew O’Mara to 18 months probation for his assault of Craig Jephtas-Crail, stating that during the arrest officer O’Mara failed to follow at least seven EPS policies for dealing with injured arrestees, including assessing Jephtas-Crail for injuries, announcing the use of force over the radio and completing a written report about the arrest. O’Mara has been relieved from duty without pay and will be required to report to a probation officer, perform 100 hours of community service and attend counselling.
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Description Type
Non-eyewitness, based on documentation
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Injuries Incurred
Unspecified details of injuries from the punches, eyewitness saw blood on the sidewalk
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Type of Abuse
Physical violence
Forced removal from public space
Forced ride/Starlight tour
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Officer Physical Description
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Complaint Filed
A formal Professional Standards Branch investigation was opened February 6, 2018. An assault charge was laid in March 2019 following an investigation by the EPS Professional Standards Branch, which was reviewed by Alberta Justice
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Complaint Resolution
Const. Matthew O’Mara’s sentencing hearing was set for March 13, 2020 and he was convicted of one count of assault and sentenced to probation without pay.
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Court Cases
Provincial Court, Const. O'Mara convicted on one count of assault
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Confidentiality/Restrictions
